A charitable pre-school - called the Owl and Pussycat - are to receive £33,000 of defrauded cash following a ruling from a judge.

Staff and children at the school in Bapchild, near Sittingbourne, were ripped off by their trusted treasurer, Kerry Goldsmith.

The 49-year-old, of Laurence Close, also in Bapchild, received a suspended jail sentence after admitting more than 26 fraud charges in February.

Police then launched an investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover the stolen money - which will now come from the sale of her home.

She now has to find the money within three months or face a nine month jail sentence in default.

Prosecutor Bridget Todd told Maidstone Crown Court that Goldsmith - who sat in court for the five minute hearing - had assets of £148,649.

She asked the judge, Philip St John-Stevens, to seize the money but then use it to compensate the preschool which was forced to close after the revelation of the fraud.

At the sentencing hearing, Ms Todd had revealed how the crooked treasurer connived to keep her duplicity hidden by inventing a variety of deceptions, including bogus invoices for gifts, fake “sing-along” shows, computer repairs, Kent County Council demands, tax bills and payments to WeightWatchers where Goldsmith was a consultant.

She told the court: “The defendant was the treasurer of the pre-school for over 10 years. It was a voluntary role and she should not have received any income from it and she was trusted to look after the finances.”

Ms Todd said that the deception came to light in 2018 after a change of officials and the new chairman found an invoice for a children’s entertainer for a 2017 Christmas party - which had never happened.

Gill McIver, chairperson of the charity said after the hearing: “I would just like to say, on behalf of the Charity, that we are glad that this has now come to its final and rightful conclusion.

“We would like to thank DC Malthouse, in particular, for all his help, support and hard work.”

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